Results 8,201-8,220 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As I have previously clarified for the Deputy, the Board of Management of the school in question has advised that the recommendations of the HSE report have been implemented in full. My Department remains in regular contact with the school and is satisfied that significant progress has been made. Officials in my Department continue to monitor the position and my Department's Inspectorate is...

Written Answers — Multidenominational Schools: Multidenominational Schools (11 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department published a Report on the Need for a Guidance Note to Schools when reviewing their policies on School Uniforms in 2008. The report is available on the Department's website at www.education.ie. The report acknowledges that the current system, whereby schools decide their uniform policy at a local level, is reasonable, works and should be maintained. The report indicates that...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (11 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There are approximately 50,000 teachers employed in primary, voluntary, secondary, community and comprehensive schools who are paid on my Department's payroll. This figure does not include teachers in the vocational education sector. Where issues such as child protection arise, a teacher may be placed on administrative leave whilst the matter is being investigated. Currently 22 teachers on...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (11 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. This now...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (11 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations. In view of the above I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (11 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. Individual school authorities are responsible for the drawing up of a school policy in relation to the wearing of school uniforms. However, my Department recommends that the formulation of such a school policy should allow for prior consultation with...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (11 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The new simplified approach to the General Allocation Model of support for schools will make it easier to automatically update it annually in line with the changes in the number of classroom teachers in each school. Schools will also have autonomy on how to deploy the resource between language support and learning support depending on their specific needs. The arrangements for the staffing...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The current status of all projects on the school building programme, including the school referred to by the Deputy, may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie and this will be updated regularly throughout the year. The Government's Medium Term Infrastructure and Capital Investment Framework, which was published on 10th November 2011, sets out the demographic challenge...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (11 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Office of the Ombudsman for Children was established under the Ombudsman for Children Act 2002 by the Minister for Health and Children. From June 2011, responsibility for the Ombudsman for Children Act 2002 was transferred to the Minster for Children and Youth Affairs. I understand that the Office of the Ombudsman for Children has been in contact with the Department of Children and...

Written Answers — School Absenteeism: School Absenteeism (11 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department continues to seek to enhance the quality and timeliness of datasets which are required for resource planning purposes, most notably in providing online facilities to streamline the collection of data. In recent years a number of initiatives have been developed in the area of online interaction with schools the esinet portal through which these online services are delivered...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (11 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. However, I understand from the grant awarding authority concerned that documentary evidence to support the student's grant application is outstanding. The student should provide this to the grant awarding authority as soon as possible to enable the grant awarding authority to take a...

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (11 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Office of Public Works (OPW) acts as an agent for all Government Departments and is responsible for the provision of Government offices from the State portfolio or by lease agreement. The terms of the leases are a matter for the OPW. Accordingly my Department does not own any office properties. In addition none of the non commercial bodies under the aegis of my Department are owners of...

Written Answers — School Fees: School Fees (11 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I have asked my officials to conduct an analysis of the potential extent and nature of the Exchequer investment, including funding for teacher posts, in the fee-charging schools. The specific analysis to be conducted by my Department will involve looking at the level of the tuition fee income based on fee rates and pupil numbers. It will take account of Exchequer investment foregone (in...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (11 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: An appeal was received from the student concerned on 30 December 2011. The appeal is appropriate to the independent Student Grant Appeals Board and a decision will issue from the Board as soon as possible but within the timeframe set out in the Student Support Act 2011, which is 60 days from the making of the appeal. All aspects of the grant application will be considered by the Board.

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (11 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: While difficult choices had to be made to identify savings across my Department's remit, the Government has gone as far as it could to protect front line services in 2012. The Government has protected the pupil-teacher ratio at primary level, prioritised targeted support for the most disadvantaged schools and maintained the overall number of resource teachers and SNAs to support children...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 250 and 251 together. A proposal for an academy for children with autism was submitted to my Department for consideration last year by Achieve ABA. This was one of a number of proposals which were submitted to my department and which were not approved for a variety of reasons, including the ready availability of placements for children with autism in state...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that approval for a building project to cater for a projected long-term pupil enrolment of 600 pupils issued to the Patron of the school in question in November 2011. I announced late last year that arrangements are now being put in place for the Office of Public Works (OPW) and the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) to assist my Department by...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (11 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has recently confirmed the need for a building project at the school, to which he refers, to meet the demographic demand that has been identified in the area in question. My Department will be making further contact with the school regarding progression of the project concerned. As the Deputy may be aware, I have already indicated in the context of the announcement on 10th...

Written Answers — Vocational Educational Committees: Vocational Educational Committees (11 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: County Westmeath VEC has advised my Department that the annual rent payable on its headquarters premises is €118,300 while Co. Longford VEC has advised that the annual rent payable on its headquarter premises is €13.33. On 29th June last, the Government decided to reduce the overall number of VECs from 33 to 16, to merge particular VECs, including the VECs covering the counties of...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (11 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In the 2010/11 school year, a total of 2,841 ordinary primary schools were under Catholic patronage and 174 ordinary primary schools were under Church of Ireland patronage. Information on the number of primary schools under the patronage of the Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland for the years 1931 and 1971 is not available as it was not collected at that time. However, my Department's...